Roof structure for refrigerator cars



April 24, 1956 K. F. NYSTROM ROOF STRUCTURE FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25, 1951 m'biz M 5,

ATTO NEY S INVENTOR 3,: 'Qby/aX (O VV 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 3Q: 45 BY 0 Mm K. F. NYSTROM ROOF STRUCTURE FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS 4 Q i W April 24, 1956 Filed June 23, 1951 K. F. NYSTROM ROOF STRUCTURE FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS April 24, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 23, 1951 INVENTO'R clicwfl 5; QZOW W,

April 24, 1956 K. F. NYSTROM 2,742,866

ROOF STRUCTURE FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed June 23, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VENTOR 651 929/241 w wv TT RNEY ture for refrigerator- Unittd States atent 2,742,866 ROOF STRUCTURE FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Karl F. Nystrom, Chicago, Ill., assignor to International Steel Company, Evansville, Ind., a corporation of In diana Application June 23, 1951, Serial No. 233,148 4 Claims. (Cl. 105-409) invention is to provide a refrigerator car roof construction which may be assern bled with respect to the steel side the form of a deck structure having supports interposed betweenthe steel side plates and the deck structure which ceiling of the refrigerator car. t Y I Dther and furthertobjectsof my invention. reside in the arrangement of complete pre-assembled ceiling struccars as set forth more fully in the specification hereinafter following by reference to .the accompanying drawings in which: I Figure l is a vertical transverse sectional view taken scale to clarify the detailsof the assembly;;F1g. 2 is a top plan view of the deck structure forming the ceiling of the refrigerator car; Fig. 3 is a transversesectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2 showing the pre-assembly of the parts of the deck structure; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 showing the construction of one of the transversals in the deck structure; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top iri which the heat insulation is interposed between the roof and the ceiling of the refrigerator car; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of-the deck structure partially broken time to time without 2,742,866 Patented Apr. 24, 1956 away and illustrated in section with the supporting elements for the deck structure illustrated in slightly spaced but relative positions and showing particularly the coaction of the several" elements of the structure whereby of the deck structure; one of the supporting elements for the deck structure; and Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the interconnecting elements constituting the deck structure, with certain of the parts broken away and shown in section for clarifying the construction. i

My invention is directed to an improved construction of refrigerator car in transfer of heat or cold has been provided in the car These heat conductive paths extending from the ceiling structure within the refrigerator car to the arefrigeratorcar. v i Another conventional arrangement in refrigerator car construction employs longitudinally extending 2 bar the car by insulation packed between the top of the deck structure and the under surface of the steel roof of the car. The insulation is thus accessible for repair from frigerator car.

disturbing the ceiling of the re This is a very distinct'advantage over conventional structures where it is necessary to remove a considerable portion of the ceiling in order to effect repairs to the insulation.

Referring to the drawings in more detail reference character 1 designates the steel side plates of a refrigerator car which extend upwardly as represented at 2 for forming supports for the steel roof 3 of the car which is riveted as represented at 4. The sides of the car include the side posts represented at 5 and 6 and supporting adjacent their extremities the short angle members 7 and S. Fig. 5 gives a typical view of the angle member assembly at each of the side posts. The side posts are spaced longitudinally along the entire length of the refrigerator car and each side post supports a short angle member of the type represented for example at 7 in Fig. 5 where the vertically extending flange of the angle member shown at 7a is welded adjacent the top of the post 5 as represented more clearly in Figs. 1, 5 and 7 and where the horizontally extending flange 7b is apertured at 7c and 7d (Fig. 8) for the passage of securing bolts and where the angle member 7 is reinforced by a transversely disposed web 7e. Corresponding parts of angle member 8 have been identified by similar reference characters where vertically extending flange 8a is welded adjacent the upper end of side posts 6 for bringing inwardly directed horizontal flange 8b toward the interior of the car. The horizontally extending flange 8b is provided with apertures similar to those in the angle member shown in Fig. 5 and represented at 8c in Fig. l. Reinforcing web 8e strengthens the angle member 8 enabling angle member 8 in coaction with the laterally aligned angle member 7 and in coaction with all of the spaced adjacent angle 111G111 bers along the length of the refrigerator car, to serve as supports for the deck structure constituting the ceiling of the refrigerator car.

The deck or ceiling structure shown more particularly in Figs. 2, 3 and 8 comprises a pair of longitudinally extending angles 11 and 12 extending the entire length of the interior of the refrigerator car and laterally braced by transversely extending channel members which I have designated at 14, 14a, 14b, 14c, 140', etc. welded at opposite ends to the longitudinally extending angles 11 and 12. The channels 14, 14a, etc. are spaced from angles 11 and 12 at each end by nailable wood spacer members shown at 15 and 16. The wood spacer members are fastened to the interior of the vertical flanges of angles 11 and 12 by means of bolts and nuts 15a and 16a. These spacer members 15 and 16 form reinforcements for the laterally spaced channels 14, 140, etc. and also provide nailable blocks to which the laminated or insulated board 17 may be secured. The channels 14a, 14b, 140, etc. are each backed by a wood beam represented at 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, etc. fastened to the coacting channel by bolts 14a, 14b", 14c", 14d, etc. The wood beams 14a'-14d', etc. are nailable and serve as additional means to which the insulated board 1.7 may be secured.

The horizontally extending flanges of the angles Hand 12 are apertured in spaced positions as represented at 18 and 19 (Fig. 10) along the length of the angles for the passage of bolt members represented at 20 and 21 which extend through apertures 22 and 23 in the nonheat conducting blocks 24. The non-heat conducting blocks 24 may be formed from board or any suitable heat resisting material. I have successfully used oak wood blocks but recognize that superior results are obtainable by use of synthetic materials having considerable resistance to the transmission of heat. These heat resisting blocks supported beneath the horizontally extending' flanges of the longitudinally extending angles 11 and 12 are each provided with spaced and countersunk apertures represented at 25 and 26 which are aligned with the apertures 7c and 7d in the angle member 7 for the passage of bolts 27 and 28 for securing the heat insulating block 24 to the angle member 7. It will be understood that the opposite side of the mounting is similar to the one side already described and for the purpose of emphasizing the symmetry of the construction I have designated the opposite insulation block by reference character 24:! and the bolts which secure the block of insulation to the longitudinally extending angle at 20a and 21a. The bolts which fasten the block 24a to the angle member 8 pass through apertures such as 80 in angle member 8. The position of bolts 27 and 28 is staggered with respect to the position of bolts 20 and 21 in the insulated blocks 24 and 24a and the bolts 27 and 28 so countersunk with respect to the blocks that there are no direct heat conducting paths between the'angle members 7 and 8 and the deck structure forming the ceiling of the refrigerator car.

The side walls of the refrigerator car are provided with insulation material represented by the barriers 29 and 30 against which the insulation material 31 and 32 is packed and interposed between the interior refrigerator car walls represented at 33 and 34. The ceiling of the refrigerator car formed by laminated insulation board 35 is suspended from the lower flanges of channels 14, 14a. 14!). 14c. etc. by bolts 42 and 43 which pass through spacer blocks 44 and 45 and the upper flange of transverse channel 38. The transversely extending channel 38 provides a support for the longitudinally extending depending rails 40 and 41 and for the brackets 46 and 47 that support the rails 48 and 49 serving as guide means for the rollers of the suspension hooks within the refrigerator car.

The interior of the refrigerator car of my construction is substantailly insulated from the steel side walls 1 and from the steel roof 3 by the heat insulating ceiling 35 and the heat insulation 31 and 32 in the side walls and heat insulation packing 50 beneath the roof 3 and heat insulation packing 51 around the sides of the top as indicated in Fig. 7 In the assembly of the refrigerator car the top of the refrigerator car is initially open terminating in the longitudinally extending flanges 2 of the side walls 1 of the car as shown in Fig. 1. The deck structure of my invention is suspended as a unit from a crane through suspension chains and 56 as shown in Fig. l and is lowered in position through the open top of the car so that the blocks of heat insulation material 24 and 24:: carried by the unit rest upon the aligned horizontally extending flanges 7b and 8b of angle members 7 and 8.

The bolts 27 and 28 which are suspended through the recessed apertures 25 and 26 in blocks 24 and 24a are inserted through the apertures such as 70, 7d, and lid in angle members 7 and 8 and when the deck structure has been brought to rest with the lowermost face of insulating ceiling 35 the deck structure resting against the longitudinally extending beams 36 and 37 forming part of the side wall structure. The bolts 27, 28, are fastened in position through insulation blocks 24 and 24a thereby securing the deck structure across the top of the refrigerator car but with the heat insulation means constituted by blocks 24 and 24a interposed between the deck structure and the brackets or angle members 7 and 8.

Insulation material shown at 50 is now laid over the deck structure as represented more clearly in Fig. 7 effectively blocking radiation transfer in either direction from the interior of the refrigerator car to the roof 3. The thick layer of insulation material 50 extends around the individual block members 24 and 24a and around the side walls of the car in the spaces indicated at 51 and 52 where heat transfer is effectively prevented. The space between the steel sides 1 and the heat insulation material 29 is sealed by horizontally disposed braces 53 providing a dead air space 54 in the exterior portions of the walls of the refrigerator car. The packing of heat insulation material 50 above the deck structure and around the sides of the deck structure at 51 and 52 is accessible by raising any portion of the roof 3 of the ear and without disturbing the deck structure. Thus the insulation packing 50, 51 and 52 may be repaired and renewed or restored without disturbing the ceiling of the refrigerator car which remains closed at all times by the extension of the deck structure across the top of the interior of the refrigerator car.

The entire top structure of the refrigerator car is removable and replaceable as shown in Fig. 1 and when lowered into position comes to rest as shown in Fig. 7 where it is bolted in secured position. Production of cars with substantial reduction in manufacturing costs and increase in operating efiiciency is obtained by the improved construction of my invention.

I have found the structure of my invention as set forth herein highly eifective and etficient and while I have described my invention in certain of its preferred embodiments, be made and I desire that it be understood that no limitations upon my invention are intended other than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. A roof structure for refrigerator cars comprising in combination with vertically extending side posts, side walls supported by said posts, bracket members supported with respect to the interior of said posts in spaced positions around the open top of said side walls, said bracket members terminating in horizontally extending supporting inwardly directed flanges, a bodily insertable and'removable ceiling frame structure terminating in hori zontally disposed longitudinally extending flanges at opposite sides thereof, blocks of transversely extending thermal insulation material fastened to said last mentioned flanges and projecting over the inwardly directed horizontally extending supporting flanges of said bracket members and adapted to pass through the open top of said side walls and through the open space between said bracket members as said ceiling frame structure is lowered through said open top and between said posts to establish contact relation with the horizontally extending flanges of said bracket members, fastening means between said bracket members and one portion of said blocks and independent fastening means spaced from the aforesaid fastening means between said ceiling frame structure and another portion of said blocks for detachably mounting said ceiling frame structure with respect to said side wall structure in a transverse position across the top of the car, the horizontally extending supporting flanges of said brackets and the longitudinally extending flanges of said ceiling structure being disposed in substantially parallel spaced overlapping relation with said blocks of insulation material disposed therebetween.

2. A roof structure for refrigerator cars comprising in combination with vertically extending side posts, side walls supported by said posts, inwardly directed brackets secured to said posts, a detachable bodily movable ceiling structure shaped to extend across the interior of the top of the side walls between said posts, blocks of insulation material projecting from each edge of said ceiling structure and extending over and detachably engageable by the brackets attached to said posts, fastening means extending along one edge of said blocks and detachably secured to said brackets, and fastening means extending along the opposite edge of said blocks in laterally spaced I realize that modifications and changes may relation to the aforesaid fastening means and detachably secured to the edge of said ceiling structure for maintaining said ceiling structure in position with respect to said brackets.

3. A roof structure for refrigerator cars comprising in combination with vertically extending side posts, side walls supported by said posts, bracket members carried by the inside portions of said posts, and directed inward 1y therefrom toward each other in a substantially horizontal plane, a bodily movable detachable ceiling structure shaped to extend over the area between the upper terminating ends of said side posts, said ceiling structure being constituted by a pair of longitudinally extending angles having outwardly directed flanges thereon, said angles being spaced by a multiplicity of transversely extending structural members disposed at spaced intervals transversely of said longitudinally extending members, blocks of insulation material secured to said outwardly directed flanges of said angle members and projecting laterally from said angle members in positions aligned with the inwardly directed brackets secured to said posts, and fastening means interconnecting the peripheral extensions of said blocks with said brackets when said bodily movable ceiling structure is moved through the open top of said side walls and in a position in which said blocks rest upon said brackets.

4. A roof structure for refrigerator cars comprising in combination with vertically extending side posts, side walls supported by said posts, inwardly directed brackets secured to said posts, a detachable bodily movable ceiling structure shaped to extend across the interior of the top of the side walls between said posts, said ceiling structure comprising a pair of longitudinally extending angle members having outwardly directed horizontal flanges integrally connected with spaced parallel vertical flanges, laterally disposed channel members interconnecting said spaced parallel vertical flanges, said channel members having their open channels directed toward one end of said ceiling structure, nailable spacer members secured against said vertically extending flanges of said longitudinally extending angles and secured at one end in the open channel of one channel shaped member and at the other end against the back of the next adjacent channel shaped member, blocks of insulation material secured to the outwardly directed horizontal flanges of said angle members at spaced intervals along the length thereof and projecting to positions over the inwardly directed brackets on said post, and fastening means for securing said blocks of insulation material to said brackets when said bodily movable ceiling structure is lowered to a position through the open top of said side walls and between said posts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,674,089 Bonsall June 19, 1928 2,021,909 Brigham Nov. 26, 1935 2,047,133 Christianson July 7, 1936 2,108,557 Humburch Feb. 15, 1938 2,245,611 Schultz June 17, 1941 2,256,377 Bonsall Sept. 16, 1941 

